Since 2009 I have worked with Matthew Passmore of MORELAB and Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge to design and fabricate nest modules for seabirds in peril. Oikonos is a non-profit ecology and conservation organization working to restore degraded bird habitat on Año Nuevo Island, a state nature preserve and one of only a handful of islands off the coast of California. The island is home to a number of marine mammals and bird species, including the Rhinocerous Auklet, a state-listed species of concern.
In 2010 I taught an interdisciplinary ceramics class at California College of the Arts (CCA) in collaboration with Passmore that focused on designing and prototyping ceramic nest modules for the Rhinoceros Auklet. After extensive subsequent design refinement, we fabricated 90 individual nest modules and installed them on the island.
In 2012 we developed and installed thirty nest sites for Ashey Storm Petrels breeding in a several caves on the Channel Islands.
In 2015 we developed initial prototypes with students at CCA for the Cassin's Auklet . Stage two prototypes were tested for heat mitigation on Año Nuevo Island and the Farallones Islands. Thirty Cassin’s nest modules were installed on the Farallones and fifteen at Año Nuevo.
in 2018, I worked with Michelle Hester and David Hyrenbach to design, produce and install nest modules for Wedgetailed Shearwaters on Oahu.
Seabird Habitat Projects
2010 Rhinoceros Auklet, Año Nuevo Island
2013 Ashy Storm Petrel, Channel Islands, Orizaba Rock
2015 Cassin’s Auklet, Año Nuevo Island
15-17 Cassin’s Auklet, Farallon Islands
2018 Cassin’s Auklet, Año Nuevo Island
2018 Wedgetailed Shearwater, Oahu